After UFC on FX 1 win, go-go aficionado Easton not planning on much time off

Captioning Mike Easton’s life right now would probably say “Portrait of a Fighter as a Young Man.”

The 27-year-old Northeasterner isn’t concerned about much other than his development of his craft as a mixed martial artist.

And emerging from a slugfest with Jared Papazian (14-7 MMA, 0-1 UFC) at UFC on FX 1, Easton (12-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) isn’t taking much of a break before he resumes his work.

“I’ll take about two, three weeks off,” Easton today told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio). “I’ll probably end up getting into the gym, anyway.”

Easton’s main-card fight, which took place this past Friday at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., and aired on FX, got the blood boiling on several occasions when he and Papazian traded punches almost without end.

But as Easton notes, the real reason it was worthwhile was the technique involved. A jiu-jitsu black belt under Lloyd Irvin, he also trains at Alliance MMA, where creative strikers such as Dominick Cruz, Alexander Gustafsson and Brandon Vera work.

“If you see a striking battle, that’s the way it’s supposed to look,” Easton said.

Still, the bout failed to win either fighter a performance bonus. The award for “Fight of the Night” went to Pat Barry and Christian Morecraft, whose meeting ended in less than a round but ended in a knockout for Barry.

Easton could be sore about that, but he’s unfazed.

“It is what it is,” he said. “Next fight I have to work even harder so I can get ‘Fight of the Night’ or ‘Knockout of the Night’ or ‘Submission of the Night.’ I have no qualms with it. I’m happy to get the win.”

With his fearsome expression and fists-at-the-ready stance, it’s easy to see why Easton has the nickname “The Hulk.” He said that energy comes out in peeks throughout fight day, but when UFC coordinator Burt Watson says it’s time to fight, he sinks deeper into it.

Music also brings the fighter out in him. During his entrance, he has the UFC play “go-go” music, a genre born in Washington, D.C., that’s a mix of blues, Latin, jazz and hip hop.

“I fight with the beat of the percussion,” Easton said. “I want to fight at that high pace, the pace of the music.”

Per the usual from an up-and-comer, Easton said he’ll fight whenever his manager tells him it’s time to go.

“I’ll start training way before then,” he said. “I’m ready to fight whoever they put in front of me.”

And fans can expect to see a better “Hulk” next time he’s in the cage. Only one opponent has bested Easton in his professional career, and it was a loss that came due to injury.

When the bumps and bruises from the most recent fight heal, it’s full steam ahead. But likely before that.

“I know how hard I can work,” Easton said. “I know what I can do, and I need to do more. I need to push the pace more, I need to get better and better. My ultimate goal is to keep getting better so I can prove I’m the best fighter in the world, pound-for-pound.”

MMAjunkie.com Radio broadcasts Monday-Friday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) live from the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino’s Race & Sports Book. The show is hosted by Gorgeous George, MMAjunkie.com lead staff reporter John Morgan and producer Goze. For more information or to download past episodes, go to www.mmajunkie.com/radio.